Indicating means and method for knitting or other machines



1,, 193%. R-HH. LAWSON J 9 INDIQATING MEANS ANDME'THOD FOR KNITTING O IOTHER MACHINES Original Filed Mar ch 28, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v I 39: 9 A 40 n [NVENTOR: -]?0BER THLAWJ01Z mwma R. H. LAWSON arch 1,

INDICATING MEANS AND'METHOD FOR KNITTING OR OTHER MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 28/1933 7 0 6 a1 1. 89 m 9 w 8 O. 9 I w .w w/ .9 M I 0 l q w w v m o 0. II M m; w. l 1 n I m \u 0 ,7 a 3 8 8 ns' 'na -[ArYENTM?. RwmrHL Aww/v, 83

A' Ty R. H; LAWSON v 2,109,945 INDICATING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING OR OTHER MACHINES March 1, 193.

5 Sheets-Sheet s Original Filed March 28, 1933 mix/Burma; v RwERTHLAE/ W ATTy I March 1 1938-- R. H. LAWSON WWW INDICATING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING OR OTHER MACHINES Original Filed March 28, 1935 5 sheets-sheet 4 iawzierfimwsmq [)WENWR l.

R. H. LAWSON v March '1, 1938.

IilDICATING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNIT-TING OR OTHER MACHINES Origifial Filed March 28, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet '5 [NVE'NTWR 5 ROBEETHLAWSOM and. M. 1, i938 UNITED STATES- INDIOATING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING OR OTHER MACHINES Robert H. Lawson, lawiucket, n. 1., assignor to lflemphill Company, Central Falls, R. L, a cornotation of Massachusetts Application March 2d,

1933, Serial No. 003.183

Renewed July 30, 193'! 28 Claims.-

section, showing the driving means for the needle 1 cylinder and other moving parts machine;

Fig. 3 is a relatively enlarged view' of the portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 to which this invention relates;

Fig. 4 is a relatively enlargedv view partly in section of a portion of the driving mechanism that is shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is afragmentary view partly in section of a. portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary'plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary detail view of portions of two yarn-rotated discs; 1

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a modifled'construction; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the modification shown in Fig. 8; i I

' Figs. 10 and '11 are elevational views of one. of

of a knittin the yarn guiding brackets shown in Figs. 8 and 9;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing supporting means for one of the yarnrotated discs illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9; i

Fig. 12a is a fragmentary sectional view. of the master disc and showing its relation to the yamrotated disc, Fig.- 12; and

' Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a jewel bearing'for a yam-rotated disc.

The machine indicated generally by the numeral I is provided with supporting legs 2 and 45 acircular base plate 3 supported by uprights 3' Within the base plate 3 is mounted for rotary movements a needle cylinder 4- in which are adapted to be mounted needles (not shown) The 50 needle cylinder 4 is fastened to a ring gear 5 (Fig. 2) which meshes a spur gear 6 which latter is provided with a hub I made fast to a vertic'ally disposed shaft 8 as by-means of a set screw 9. The shaft 8 at its upper end is pro- Fig. 1 is a view" in front elevation of a sc-called vidd with an axial recess wit i whic is seated a'shaft ill which is retained in the shaft 8. by means of a set screw ll. As more-particularly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft to passes through an arm {2 of a bracket l3 which bracket is mounted upon a plate l3 (Fig.- 2). The arm 5 l2 serves'as a bearing for the shaft to which has connected to its upper end a bevel gear it, a pin it passing through a hub it of the gear and also through the shaft i0. Meshing with the gear M is another bevel gear ll which is made to fast to-a'sleeve 18 which surrounds and in which is anally movable a shaft I9, the sliding connection being provided by a screw orkey 2b which is received within a keyway 2i longitudinally disposed along the shaft i9. One end of the it shaft is is threaded as at 22, said threaded end projecting beyond the sleeve is and the said threads being engaged by a knurled wheel or collar it. The bracket i3 is provided with an integral and horizontally disposed bearing 24 within which is disposed the sleeve is which is reduced at its ends thereby providing shoulders 25' and '26 against which seat respectively the gear Ill and tubular bearing 24. Abutting the other face of the tubular hearing it is a' collar 25 2! which is made fast to the sleeve It as by means of a set screw 28. The wheel 23 is provided with an annular recess 29 within which seats the shank of a screw 30 for a purpose presently to be described. A pin ti is adapted to 30 seat in anyone of a series of recesses or notches 32 which are provided in the adjacent face'of the collar it; a' coil spring 33 engaging a collar 84 fast to the pin 3i and thereby normally retaining the pin M in engagement with a'recess 32.

The shaft is is also supported by an angle bracket 35 which is fastened to a shaft 36 disposed axially of the needle cylinder t. To the upper surface of the shaft supporting hub 31 of the bracket 35 is fastened as by means of screws in 38 a graduated indicator or scale 39 which func-v tions in a manner hereinafter to be described. A

disc to is provided with a hub M through which pass set screws 42 which are maintained in clamping engagement with the shaft is thereby 45 carried by the framework of the machine.

loosely molmted on the shaft 36, turning on ring bearings 46 and 41 seated in recesses 48, 48' in hub 44, said hub being otherwise spaced from the shaft 36. Thus the disc 48 provides the sole support for the disc 43 and also drives the said disc 43 at a speed determined by the axial or radial position of the disc 48, the disc 43 being driven at a relatively high rate of circumferential speed when the disc 48 is in the full line position, Fig. 5, and being driven at a relatively low speed when the disc 48 is moved to the dotted line position indicated in said Fig. 5.

Made fast to the shaft 36 above the .disc or wheel 43 as by means of a set screw 48 is a circular plate 58 to the periphery of which are attached as by means of screws 5|, plates 52. The plates 52 constitute brackets which provide bearings for yam-driven discs 53. The bearings for each disc 53 consist of arms 54, 55 which depend from the horizontally disposed portion of a bracket plate 52. Attached to the arm 54 as by means of a screw 56 is a U-shaped bracket 51. the arms of which are provided with porcelain or other eyelets 58, 58. In order to prevent movement of the bracket 51 upon the shank of the screw 56 as a pivot, a pin 68 may be provided which passes through the bracket 51 and into a hole provided in the arm 54. Yarns or threads T are, as hereinbefore described, supplied from bobbins (not shown) passing therefrom downwardly, one such yarn or thread passing through companion eyelets 58, 58 and in an annular groove 6| provided in a disc 53. The discs 53 are mounted in substantially frictionless bearings and are consequently freely rotatable in such bearings by the frictional engagement of the moving threads T in the grooves 6|, the direction of rotation of the discs 53 being, preferably but not necessarily, opposite to the direction of rotation of the disc 43, the direction of rotation of the said discs 53 being determined by the path taken by the threads within the grooves 6|.

As more particularly shown in'Fig. 3, the discs 53 are, adjacent to their peripheries,'provided" with equally spaced holes 62 while the disc 43 is provided with a series of equally. spaced holes 63 in an upstanding flange 64. The holes 62 and 63 cooperate in a manner hereinafter to be described. The disc 43 and holes 63 therein as well as the auxlliarydiscs 53, are concentrically disposed with respect to the needle cylinder.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft 8 is sup-' ported inbrackets 65 and 66 carried by the machine frame, fast to which brackets are bronze bushings 61, 68 which provide bearings for the said shaft 8. Intermediate the ends of the shaft 8 is fixed a bevel gear 68 as by means of a set screw 18. The bevel gear 68 may be supported upon ball bearings 1I which in turn are supported by a collar or hub 12 which is part of an upright 3. The ball bearings 1| are seated between two plates 13, 14, a bronze bushing 15 which is attached to the collar or hub 12 also serving as a bearing for the shaft 8. The gear 68 is in mesh with another bevel gear 16 which is rigidly mounted upon a horizontally disposed shaft 11 which latter is supported at one end by means of a bracket arm 18 depending from the plate I3 andat its other end by a bracket arm 18 aiso connectedto and carried by the plate l3. Thebracket arm 18 provides a bearing 88 within which are seated rings 8|, 82 between which are ball bearings 83. The ring 82 bears at one end against a shoulder 84 formed by reducing the shaft 11 and at its other end against a nut in threaded engagement with the shank of a screw 86 connected to shaft 11. .The ring 8| rests against a flange 81 provided by recessing the bearing 88. The space between the flange 81 and the shaft 11 provides an oil well, the oil being retained therein by means of a cap plate 88 which is fastened to the bearing 88 in any suitable manner. The other end of the shaft 11 is also reduced providing a shoulder 88 against which rests a sleeve 88 which is also reduced at one end forming a shoulder 8|. Seated against the shoulder 8i is a ring 82 in cooperation with which is a ring 83 and between the said two rings are seated ball bearings 84. The ring 83 is seated against a flange 85 provided by recessing the bearing carried by the bracket 18. Oil or other lubricant for the ball bearings may be retained between the said bearings and cap plates 86 which fit over the bushing 88 and are retained in such position as by means of screws 81.

A loose pulley 88 is loosely'mounted upon the shaft 11 between flange 85 and a sleeve 88 to which is rigidly connected as by means of a set screw I88 a relatively slow speed pulley I8I. At the other side of the pulley IN is a high speed pulley I82 which latter loosely surrounds the sleeve 88, the hub of the said pulley I82 abutting a shoulder I83 carried by the sleeve 98.

The sleeve 88 to which the pulley IN is connected is provided at its other end with a spur gear I84 which is in mesh with two spur gears I85 and I86. The gears I85 and I86 are loosely mounted upon pins I81 and I88 which are held in recesses provided in the gear 16. The respective pins I81 and I88 are reduced at the ends received within the said recesses and at their other ends are headed as at I88 and H8. Meshing with the gears I85, I86 is an internally toothed gear ring III which is connected to one face of the pulley I82 as by screws H2. The outer surface or periphery of the ring gear II I is provided with ratchet teeth II3 adapted to be engaged by one or more pawls H4.

The operation of the driving connections just described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 will be apparent from inspection of the drawings. The pulley 88 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 11 and consequently when the driving belt (not shown) is on the pulley 88, the shaft 11 is not driven. When the driving belt is shifted so as to overlap the pulley I8I such pulley drives the shaft 11 indirectly and at a slow speed, the direct connection between the pulley IM and sleeve 88 causing the said sleeve to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow I I5, rotation of the sleeve 88 and gear I84 causing the gears I85 and I86 to rotate relatively to the gear 16 through the medium of the pins I81 and I88. A pawl H4 at such time is in engagement with the ratchet II3 thereby preventing, rotation of the ring gear III and pulley I82; however, the internal gear III being in engagement with the teeth of the gears I85 and I86, causes the gear 16 to rotate at a relatively reduced speed as compared with the speed of rotation of the sleeve 88 and pulley IN, the speed reduction being due to the greater number of teeth in the ring gear III as compared with the number of. teeth in the gear I84, e. g., if there are ten times as many teeth in the ring gear III as there are in the gear I84, then one complete rotation of the sleeve 88 will cause the intermeshing of the gears I85, I86 with the gear III to advance the gear 16 through one-tenth of a complete revolution. When the driving belt is shifted onto'the high speed pulley 7 areas-1a I02 it also drives the pulley IIII, the internal gear III and the gear I04 being then driven at the same circumferential speed and as a consequence thereof the intermediate gears I05, I08 do not turn on their axes relatively to the gear I6, the

of the pulley I02 in the manner described, pawl H4 is automatically released'from engagement with ratchet teeth 'I I3.

Connected to the lower end of the shaft 8 is a spur gear IIG, a set screw III passing through a hub I I8 of the gear 6 and into engagement with theshaft 8. The said gear lit meshes with a gear I I9 which drives the take-up rolls (not shown).

A belt shipper I20 which may be of any suitable construction is carried by brackets attached to the frame of the machine, one such bracket being indicated at i2i as an arm connected to and depending from the bracket It.

A hand wheel I22 may be provided for manually rotating the gear s.

In multi-feed knitting machines, such as socalled body machines wherein a plurality of threads are knitted into the fabric. at the same time, it is essential that the stitch drawing cams at the several feeding stations be adjusted to draw the same length of stitch; otherwise the fabric does not have a uniform appearance. Furthermore, it is occasionally desirable that the number of stitches per inch knitted at the'several feeding stations be changed as from a coarse fabric to a fine fabric. It is for the purpose of effecting the said two purposes that the mechanism hereinbcfore described has been applied to a multi-feed knitting machine. The first object, namely, uniformity of fabric, is made possible by means of the rotating discs 53 in conjunction with the master disc 53; the second object, namely, a changein the number of stitches per inch ateach feeding station, is made possible by adjustment of. the shaft I9, and adjustment of each disc-53 towards and from the axis of the master disc 43. a Y i 'Assuming that the machine has been knitting sixty stitches per inch and it is desired to change "to. a finer fabric of eighty stitches per inch, the

shaft I9 is adjusted by withdrawing the pin 3i and turning the wheel or 'collar 23 which, being retained in, a fixed axial position by the screw engaging the recess 29, causes the shaft I9 to be moved longitudinally-to bring the marking line I23 opposite the place on the .scale 39 where eighty stitches per', inch is indicated, then the several stitch cams are adjusted to draw a somewhat shorter stitch. After the initial adjust ments of the stitch cams are completed, the machine .is started and if the cams have been properly adjusted, theyarns rotate their discs 53 in synchronism with the rotations of the disc orplate 43 in which event. a hole. 62 in a disc 53 is always in register with a, hole 63 in the master disc 43, However, it is practically impossible to obtain an accurate initial adjustment of the cams to cause the .desired number of stitches per inch to be knitted and as a consequence thereof, the holes 82 and 63 will not remain-in register but one set'of holes will gain with respect to the other thereby causing an opticalillusion of spots mov-,

ing either to the right or to the left. If the spots appear to be moving to the right, the stitch cams" have not been raised sumciently; in other words, the needles are drawing more yarn than is neoes sexy and knitting less than the required eighty stitches per inch. By raising the stitch cams a slight additional amount, a point is reached where the holes 62 and 63 are always substantially in register in which case there is no continuous movement of spots either to the right or to the left and the required adjustment has been obtained. By slowly walking around the machine each disc 53 may be observed and if not rotating in proper timed relation with the master disc 43, a necessary adjustment of the stitch cam companion to such disc 43, is made until all of the stitch cams are drawing the saine length of stitch and consequently knitting the same number of stitches per inch.

As hereinbefore stated, the master disc d3 preferably rotates in a direction opposite to the direction. of the rotation of the disc 53; however,

it is also possible to adjust the knitting of yarns so as to knit uniform fabric of a required number of stitches per inch by. observing the rotations of the master disc is and the discs 53 when they rotatein the same direction In Figs; 1, 3, 6 and -7 adjacent discs 53 are shown as overlapping, and while the overlapping of adjacent discs 53 provides an additional check in that the feeding of yarns to the needles at two adjacent feeding stations may be brought into synchronism, the overlapping is not essential, and the discs 53 are not shown as overlapping in the modification now to be described.

In Figs. 8 -120. inclusive, a construction somewhat modified as compared with that disclosed in Figs. 1 inclusive, is shown. The bracket bearing member I32, pintles I33, I34 thereof being received in openings provided in jewel bearings I35, I36. The openings or oil passages I30, I3I

are closed in any suitable manner as by plugs Iii, lit.

The construction just described providesvsubstantially frictionless bearings for the discs 53' thereby permitting the same to be rotated freely by the threads I when the same are drawn from their sources of supply by the needles of the knitting machine. The threads 'I' pass downwardly from sources of thread or yarn supply (not shown) each thread passing through an eyelet I39 which eyelet is part of a U-shaped bracket I4Il which is also provided with a second eyelet I through which the said thread '1 also passes, the said thread, between the two eyelets, being received within the periphery SI of a disc 53' whereby the disc may'be rotated, either in the same direction as therotation of the master disc .43 orin the opposite direction.

For convenience of threading the yarns T through the eyelets 58,39 and around the periphery of the discs 53', one or both ofthe eyelets in the arms of the brackets 51, I40 may be cut or split as shown at. I42, Fig. 6, or at l43, Figs. 10. and 11.

amount of yarn knitted into a fabric per unit thereof by theneedles o! a knitting ms- 'i'he'method .hereinbeforedescribed and the I V mechanism for assisting in the carrying out of the of the method. determine the exact chine and especially of knitting machines having tuck courses. Thereafter the remaining feeds rotary needle cylinders. Furthermore, the method permits such exact measuring by adjusting indicator mechanism while the needle cylinder is revolving at a constant speed, said indicator mechanism being independent of the usual yarn feeding mechanism.

If, as hereinbefore described. the master disc 43 and auxiliary discs such as 53 or 53', are driven an opticalimpression of dark spots or dashes interspersed with white spots or dashes which will appear to be traveling in one direction or in the other, the direction depending. upon whether the master disc is gaining or losing with respect to the auxiliary disc or discs.

It is obvious that the described indicatin means may be used to compare yarn speeds in a multi-feed machine wherein all the feeds are to be adjusted-to a single standard, or alternatively, certain of the feeds may be adjusted to draw one length of stitch while other feeds may be adjusted to draw a different length of stitch. In

the first instance all feeds will be set to draw" stitches of the same length and the number of stitches in a wale per unit length of fabric may be set to any desired quantity. In the second instance certain of the feeds about the machine may be set to draw stitches of a given length or some predetermined number of stitches per unit length of fabric while other feeds may be set to draw stitches corresponding in length to a different number of stitches per unit length of fabric.

One example of this use of the mechanism in setting a machine wherein all the courses knitted are. not knitted of stitches of a single length would be evident in a certainnon-run type of fabric knittedin the following manner: First, two courses of plain fabric are knitted fairly loosely, say, with a stitch length which would give about 34 courses per inch of fabric. Then one course of so-called pile tuck stitches is knitted ve y tightly. Preferably, this-course would be knitted with a length of stitch corresponding to about to courses per inch of fabric. Thereafter a com of so-called float tuck stitches is knitted rather loosely but not as loosely as the said two courses ofplain fabric. be repeated every-four courses and obviously the fabric will be knitted on a machine having at least four feeds or a multiple of that number.

ferent rate of speed so as to give in cooperation with the yarn driven discs, an indication of yarn speed and incidentally stitch length corresponding to 60 or 65 courses per inch. This would take Y care of-the feeds which were to knit the said pilewhich were to knit float tuck would be adjusted with the master disc set at whatever number of stitches per inch it was desired to employ for c governing the stitch length knitted throughout these float tuck courses. 1

The above will serve as an example of one manher in which the mechanism shown and described is easily used ior the purpose of setting up a machine wherein diiferent length stitches are to be knitted in different courses recurring throughout the fabric, and wherein spaced feeds knitting the same type of stitch may all be set to a common standard.

In the description and claims, reference has been made to the rotation or movement of the master disc 43 and auxiliary discs 53, 53 in timed relation, and by that is meant any substantially constant relation such as one to one, one to one and one-half or one to two.

Although the invention has been shown as applied to a knitting machine, it has other uses being adaptable to other textile and other machines, in view of which it is not the intention to limit the invention otherwise than by the express limitations in the claims themselves.

I I claim: r

-1. In a knitting machine, means for readily changing the number of stitches knitted in a unit length of fabric, including a movable master indicator and one or more other movable indicators, means for moving the master indicator in a definite relation with respect to thenumber of knitted, courses, and means for changing the speed of movement of the master indicator so -that the speed of movement of the other indicator or indicators will have to be changedin order to maintain the movements of the master and other indicator or indicators in synchronism.

2. A knitting machine and I in combination therewith means for readily effecting changes in the number of stitches per unit length of the knitted fabric, such means including a movable master indicator and another movable indicator, movements of the two indicators being adapted to be maintained in synchronism, the movements of the last named indicator being yarn-controlled and thus bearing a definite relation with respect to the number of stitches knitted per unit length of fabric, means for varying the speed of movements of the master indicator, the two indicators being adapted to disclose to the operator of the .knitting machine whether or not they are moving in synchronism, and means for varying the speed of the movements of the master indicator and effecting a change in the number of stitches knitted per unit length of fabric.

- 3. A knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder, means for readily effecting a change in the number of stitches knitted perunit length of fabric, said means including an indicator movable in time with the needle cylinder, the timed relation of the movements of the indicator with respect to the movements of the needle cylinder being varlable'at will so that a. change in the number of stitches knitted per unit length of fabric may be readily effected.

4.-In a knitting machine, a master indicator the master indicator, to give indications to the operator of the knitting machine so that yarns at twoor more feeding stations can be fed to [adjustment of the feeding of yarns attwo or more feeding stations, whereby uniform fabric having a desired number of stitches per'unit length can be knitted with two or more yarns.

6. In a knitting machine, means for readily changing the number of stitches knitted per unit length of fabric, said means including a master' indicator movable in time with the movements of movable parts of the knitting machine, in combination with means for adjusting the movements of the master indicator so that the feeding of yarns at two or more feeding stations can be readily synchronized and uniform fabric having a desired number of stitches per unit length knitted.

7. A multi-fee'd knitting machine having a single scale calibrated to indicate the number of stitches per unit length of fabric, in combination with means for readily effecting an adjustment of. the several feeds of the knitting machine to knit a fabric having any desired number of stitches per unit length of fabric indicated on the scale and in which fabric adjacent courses are knitted with different yarns.

8. A multi-feed knitting machine having a single scale calibrated to indicate the number of stitches per unit length of fabric, in combination with means, movable alongv the scale, for readily effecting an adjustment of the several feeds of the knitting machine to knit a fabric having any desired number of stitches per unit length of fabric indicated on the scale and in which fabric adjacent courses are knitted with different yarns.

9.,In a circular knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder, a master indicator rotatable inrtime with the needle 'cylinder,means for varying the said timed relation between the needle cylinder and master indicator, yarn-rotatable indicators adapted to rotate in timed relation with the master indicator, the master indicator and each yarn-rotatable indicator when rotating =inla ter indicator.

desired timed relation with respect to one another indicating this fact to the operator of the knitting machine.

10. A knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type, and in combination therewith indicator means rotatable in time with the needle cylinder and concentrically disposed with respect thereto, and means for rotating the indicator comprising adriven shaft having at one end a driving disc in constant engagement with the rotary indicator, the driving connection between the shaft and the source of power being such as to permit the shaft to be moved so as to cause the indicator to be driven at variable speeds.

11. A knitting machine of \the rotary needle cylinder type, and in combination therewith indicator means rotatable in time with the needle cylinder and concentrically disposed with respect theret'o gand meansfor rotating the indicator comprising a driven shaft having at one end driving disc means movable towards" and from the axis of the rotary indicator in constant engagement with the rotary indicator, the driving connectlon between the shaft and the source'of power being such as-to permit the shaft to be moved so as to cause the indicator to-be driven at variable speeds. 1

12. In an indicator for effecting the knitting of uniform stitches, a bracket having lubricated jewel bearings, and a yarn-rotatable member mounted in said bearings.

13. A method of effecting the knitting a: uniform fabric having a desired number of stitches stitches per unit lengthof fabric.

' 14. A circular knitting machine having a rotary, needle cylinder, and in combination therewith indicator means for efi'ecting the knitting of uniform fabric with a plurality of yarns and at a plurality of feeding stations, said indicator means consisting of a master indicator and means for moving the same in timed relation with the needle cylinder, and auxiliary indicator means consisting of a yam-rotatable member for each yarn at each feeding station, the master indicator and auxiliary indicators being adapted to indicate to the operator of a knitting machine whether or not the auxiliary indicators are each rotating in proper timed relation with the master indicator.

15. A circular knitting machine having a retary needle cylinder, and in combination therewith indicator means for efiecting the knitting of uniform fabric with a plurality of yarns and at a plurality of "feeding stations, said indicator means consisting of a master indicator and means for moving the same in timed relation with the needle cylinder, and auxiliary indicator means consisting of a yam-rotatable member for eachyarn at each feeding station, the master indicator and auxiliary indicators being rotatable in opposite directions and adapted to indicate to the operator of a knitting machine whether or not the auxiliary indicators are each rotating in proper timed-relation with the inasit. A circular knitting machine having a rotaryineedle cylinder, and in combination therewith indicator means for effecting the knitting of uniform fabric with a plurality of yarns and at a plurality of feeding stations, said indicator means consisting of a master indicator and means for moving the same in timed relation with the needle cylinder, and auxiliary indicator means consisting of a yam-rotatable member for each yarn at each feeding station, the master indicator and auxiliary indicators being adapted to indicate to the operator of a knitting machine whether or not the auxiliary indicators are each 17. A circular knitting machine having a rotaryneedle cylinder, and .in combination therewithfindicator means for effecting the knitting fabric per unit length thereof by the needles -means consisting of a yam-rotatable member for each yarn at each .feeding station, the master indicator and auxiliary indicators being rotatable in opposite directions and adapted to indicate to the operator of a knitting machine whether or notthe auxiliary indicators are each rotatingin proper timed relation with the master indicator, and means for rotating the master indicator, said means being adjustable so as to rotate the master indicator at various speeds, thereby causing the master indicator to rotate in different timed relations with respect to the rotation ofthe needle cylinder, whereby the knitting machine can be adjusted so as to knit loose fabric or relatively tight fabric. 1

18. A method of measuring the exact amount of each of a plurality of yarns knitted into a in a knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type and while the needle cylinder is revolving at a constant speed, and of determining the exact length of yarn knitted per revolution of the needle cylinder, said method including observing indicator mechanism and adjusting the stitch length in accordance with the ob servations,

19. A method of measuring the exact amount of each of a plurality of yarns knitted into a fabric per unit length thereof by the needles in a knitting machine of the rotary needle cylinder type'and while the needle cylinder is revolving at a constant'speed, and of determining the exact length of yarn knitted per revolution of the needle cylinder, said method including observingindicator mechanism which is independent of the yarn feeding means and adjustof a knitting machine, said method including the observing of the rates of movements of two or more yarns by the movements. of a yarn movable member, thenadjusting the relativefeeding rates of the yarns.

21. A multi-feed knitting machine having in association therewith yarn movable means operative at each'of a plurality of feeding stations, and means for informing the operator of the machine when the desired amount of yarn is being knitted into the fabric per unit length thereof, in combination with means for adjusting the rate of yarn feed'and other means for bination with means for adjusting the said mechfliinqin combination with means for adjusting the means for informing the operator of the machine when thedeslred amount of yarn is being knitted into the fabric.

22. A multi-feed knitting machine having mechanism to inform the operatorof the machine as to the number of stitches being knitted in a given wale per unit length of fabric at one or more of a plurality of feeding stations, in comanismso'astoreadilyeffectachangetoknit more or less stitches in a wale per unit length of fabric.

23. A mnltifeed knitting machine having yarn movable means in amoclation with each of a plurality of knitting stations of the knitting mathe operator the number of stitches in be knitted into the fabric per unit length thereof at a given wale, the yarn movable means and means lastmentioned being so associated-and operated that the knitting at each of a plurality of feeding stations may be readily adjusted to effect the knitting of uniform fabric at the several feed-,

ing stations.

24. s. multi-feed knitting machine having' chine as to the number of stitches knitted per unit length of fabric and the relative sizes of stitches knitted at one or more of a plurality of feeding stations, in combination with means for adjusting the said mechanism so as readily to effect a change to knit a different number of -stitches per unit length of fabric or to vary the size of the knitted loops at one or more of the feeding stations.

26. A multi-feed knitting machine adapted to knit stitches of diiferent length at one or more feeding stations in combination with indicator means to inform the operator of the machine.

as to the number of stitches being knitted per unit length of fabric and of the size of individual stitches being knitted at one or more of a plurality of feeding stations, and means for adlusting the said indicator mechanism so that changes may be effected readily whereby'a different number of stitches per unit length of fabric may be knitted or whereby the size of loops knitted at one or more of the feeding stations may be varied. 2'7. In a multi-feed knitting machine having .mechanism therein for knitting uniform fabric wherein all stitches are of uniform length or for knitting uniform fabric wherein recurrent courses are knitted having relatively tight loops and other recurrent courses are knitted having relatively loose loops, means for indicating to the operator of the machine the number of stitches being knitted per unit length of fabric and the relative sizes of stitches being knitted at adjacent feeding stations, and means for varying the adjustment of said indicator means whereby changes in the number of stitches per unit length of fabric may bemade without disturbing the relative proportions of tight and loose stitches being knitted at different feeding stations about said machine.

28. In a knitting machine the combination of knitting instrumentalities and means for adjusting the length of stitch drawn by said knitting instrumentalities with indicator means for showing the machine operator when stitches are being drawn at the several feeds of a length to pro duce fabric having imiform characteristics ROBERT E; LAWSON. 

